A leading disability charity has welcomed the much needed
step the government has taken towards the adoption of the
UN Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities.

However, Leonard Cheshire Disability is disappointed that
the government is still seeking opt-outs from parts of the
treaty.

The government has proposed entering ‘reservations’
to the UN Convention, meaning that it would not sign up
to the full rights set out in the Convention on education,
legal capacity, employment in the armed forces and immigration.

Commenting on the announcement from the government that
it intends to ratify the UN Convention, but with a number
of ‘reservations’, John Knight, assistant director
for policy and campaigns at Leonard Cheshire Disability
said: “We are delighted that the government has now
set out a clear process to ratify this hugely important
Convention, this is a major step forward for disabled people.

“We remain disappointed, however, that the UK still
intends to ‘opt-out’ of a number of areas. We
feel that this casts something of a cloud on the government’s
commitment to deliver full equality for disabled people
by 2025.”

Leonard Cheshire Disability is part of the UNCCC, a coalition
of organisations campaigning for the UK to ratify the Convention
without reservations.